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Tablets Continue to Gain Ground Versus E-Readers Among Ebook Buyers

Ebook readers are continuing to transition from dedicated e-reading devices like the Kindle and Nook to tablets like the iPad and Kindle Fire for their reading.

Nearly 40% of readers now use a tablet computer most often as an e-reading device, up from about 35% a quarter ago, according to the latest iteration of the Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading study conducted by Bowker and the Book Industry Study Group. By comparison, nearly 50% of e-book readers cite a dedicated e-reader as the device they use most often to read e-books. That’s down from just over 50% a quarter ago and it’s below 50% for the first time since the inception of the study.

The authors of the study credit the Kindle Fire, citing market-share growth for the device among ebook readers of about 15 points in a year to about 17%.

According to the report, smartphones and desktop and laptop computers both still bring up the rear when it comes to device of choice for e-book reading. Both categories are preferred by under 10% of ebook readers.